Transplant exercise testing
Testing is crucial with any programme, but its vital to determine the starting postion of the. client, so a good assessment will help everyone.
Benefits of testing.
For MI patients, cardiac exercise testing is recommended before resuming workouts. Doctors are now recognising that a regular workout program is the best way for patients to recover, and indeed one of the most powerful ways to reduce the risk of further heart attacks.
However, it is important to undertake cardiac exercise testing before going headlong into a program of workouts. The idea of the testing is to ensure that the patient is sufficiently robust to compete the workouts safely.
Assessment process.
The assessment process will include a number of different areas. The physician will complete a clinical risk stratification based on the patients history, a physical examination, and their resting ECG combined with a functional capacity test. The most commonly used tests are the shuttle walking test or the six-minute walking test.
Considerations for high risk patients.
Patients who are assessed as being high risk will not start the same type of program as those designated low or medium risk. High risk is defined as those who have:
- Suffered a myocardial infarction (MI) complicated by heart failure, cardiogenic shock and/or complex ventricular arrhythmias
- Those who experience angina or breathlessness during a low level of exercise
- Those unable to complete the first four minutes of the shuttle walking test
High-risk patients will need exercise testing and echocardiography to assess residual ischaemia and ventricular function.
